A recent study reveals that a mere week in the microgravity environment of space results in significant changes to muscle cell genetics, causing them to exhibit aging characteristics akin to those of muscle cells on Earth that have been aging for years. This discovery provides insight into why astronauts experience muscle function impairment during missions in space.
Astronauts face the serious risk of losing both bone density and muscle mass due to the extremely low gravitational conditions in space. Researchers from Stanford University, led by Ngan Huang, investigated the impacts of microgravity on the genetic activity of muscle cells, shedding light on these critical health concerns for space exploration.
Article amended on 26 July 2024
Clarifications were made regarding the type of drug used in experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station.
